Blade-wheel mechanism.



J. A. ARMSTRONG.

BLADE WHEEL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1911.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917,.

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J. A. ARMSTRONG.

BLADE WHEEL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.I7.19H.

Patented Jan. 9,1917.

3 SHEETS$HEET 2- r m m V n I J. A. ARMSTRONG.

BLADE WHEEL MECHANISM. APPLICATION H'LED FEB.17,1911.

Patented Jan. 9,1917.

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JOHN.ARTHUR ARMSTRONG, 0F GILNOGKIE, VJESTCOMBE PARK, ENGLAND.

BLADE-WHEEL MECHANISM.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 9, 191?.

Application filed February 17, 1911. Serial No. 609,245.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN ARTHUR ARM- STRONG, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing-at Gilnockie, VVestcombe Park, incounty ofKent, England, have invented new and useful Improved BladelVheel Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionhas for its object an improved construction ofstop motion of the Geneva type designed to extendthe range of usefulness of such mechanism;

More particularly defined the invention purposes to combine a slotted wheel such as is found in existing Geneva stop motions with a locking disk arranged in a plane at right angles to that of the wheel.

Further the invention includes the application of such improved stop motion to blad wheels for the purpose of causing the blades to turn on their axes in the course of each revolution. The-blade wheels thus produced maybe employed'as paddle wheels or propellers for boats, airships and the like, or may be inclosed in a casing and used as pumps or fans to propel'fiuid or as rotary engines to take energyfrom a moving fluid.

It is another object of the invention to make the stationary disk of the stop motion adjustable so that it is possible to adjust the position in the revolution at which the turning of the blades occurs.

Typical constructions according to the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is an edge. view of a simple form of wheel'employing the mechanism; Fig. 1 showson alarge scale a modified form of cam; and Fig. 2 is a face viewof Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate details for such a wheel. Fig. 5 shows the wheel applied to the propulsionof a ship, submarineor balloon. Fig. 6 a wheel'modified to run upon the ground, and Figs. 7 and 8 a cross section and face view of a wheel inclosedto form a pump. Fig. 9 showsa modified form of the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5.

A six blade wheel is shown for illustration in Fig. 1. This is conveniently formed upon a'he'xagonfal boss 1. Each blade may be secured in the. forked end ofa pivot Spassing through the boss, and suitably secured thereto so as tobe capable. of rotation on its axis. Justoutsidethe boss. the pivot 3 receives a cam & keyed orv otherwise-secured upon. it,

forming one member of a mechanism analogous to the Geneva stop action. According to the present invention the mechanism is modified from the usual type by the arrangement of the stop surface at right angles to the plane of the cam. The stop surface is formed by a disk 5 surrounding the shaft 6 to which the boss is secured, and attached to the supporting frame of the device. This disk carries one, two or more pins 7. These pins project outward from the disk sufliciently far to engage with the cams 4, which in the construction shown have four slots to receive the pins. The disk 5 is recessed behind the pins as at 8 to allow for the rotation of the cams which the pins cause. A worm wheel 9 formed upon the hub of the disk 5 or secured to the disk may be rotated by a worm 10 so as to adjust the position of the pins 7. This serves to clamp the disk 5 owing to the non-reversible property of the worm and worm gear.

It will be readily understood that with the construction illustrated each blade when it .reaches one of the pins 7 is turned through a right angle. The faces of the cams 4: run in close contact with the disk 5 so that there is no possibility of'the blades turning through more than the desired amount or being shifted from their position when turned. If there are two pins at opposite ends of a diameter the blades will occupy each of their possible positions during a half revolution, save for the space in which their rotation is actually taking place. By setting the pins in a different position the blades may be caused to present their edges to the direction of motion for more or less than a half revolution.

In order that the device may operate without great frictional loss it may be convenient to construct the cams 4 as shown in Fig. 3. Here they are built up of two flat plates 11 between which extend pins 12 forming the pivots of anti-friction rollers 13. Additional rollers 30 are provided to safe-guard the stop action. The pins 7 also may be replaced by rollers 14 preferably slightly barrel shaped to allow for the change in the inclination of the cam to the pin as it is passing.

It will be obvious that the construction of the wheel isopen to various modifications. For example by a different design ofthe cam ithe blades can be rotatedthrough. less than a right angle by each pin. For example, by means of the cam 4? shown in Fig. 1 the blades are rotated through 7 2 degrees at each step. Again the blades can be mounted radially in an external surrounding ring instead of extending outward from a central boss.

As already indicated the wheel is capable of numerous applications. It may be used simply as a water wheel or wind turbine for it will obviously be rotated by movement of the medium in which it is placed. It can also be applied for driving ships or submarines or on aeroplanes, air ships or motor cars. In connection with aeroplanes or submarines it will be noted that the adjustment of the pins 7 has a special value. If the pins are at opposite ends of a horizontal diameter the blades will tendto give the vessel a forward motion only. By turning the pins to a different position a slight upward or downward motion can be derived from the paddles as well as the forward or backward motion; while if the pins are turned into avertical line the propulsion will be wholly upward or downward.

Fig. 5 illustrates the application of a pair of wheels to a ship or balloon or a submarine-or aeroplane. It will be noted that the action of the blades enables them to be set very close to the side of a vessel of ship form. In this figure the two wheels are supported upon a hollow shaft 15 while the stationary spindle 16 passing through the shaft A the two paddle wheels are supported upon carries the worm wheel 9 for adjusting the pins. A nut 17, the pressure of which is exerted through a ballrace 18, serves for tightening up the disks 5 carrying the pins when the desired adjustment has been effected.

In the modified structure shown in Fig. 9

solid shafts 23 which are driven through a pulley or spur wheel 24: and a balance gear 25. The fixed disks 5 of the stop motion are in this arrangement next to the ship and are arranged upon hollow shafts 26 surrounding the shaft 23. The disks may be adjusted by the aid of the worms and worm wheels 27 which may be connected so as to turn together. This arrangement gives a means of steering a ship for brake drums 28 may be arranged on each of the shafts 23 with a suitable band or other brake 29 in position for application to them. If either brake is applied each shaft 23 will be stopped or slackened while the other shaft will be doubled or at any rate increased in speed.

When the device is applied to an aeroplane or motor car it is convenient to combine it with the ordinary wheels which run upon the ground. In this case such a construction as is indicated in Fig. 6 may be adopted. There the axes 19 of the blades 2 are suitably strengthened to serve as spokes and extend beyond the outer edge of the blades where they support a rim 20 to which a tire 21 of suitable construction may be applied.

If a wheel of this kind is inclosed in a casing it will obviously serve as a pump. Such a construction is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. There the blades 2 are approximately circular in outline and are inclosed within a casing 22, the upper part of which is formed by two half disks and the lower part by two half cylinders. The one part merges into the other and naturally the adjustment of the pins must be limited to the form of the casing. Such a pump may of course be used for liquid or for air, but the same structure may be employed to take energy from a fluid instead of imparting energy to a fluid. Thus the structure may .be regarded as a type of rotary engine which may be controlled by varying the position at which the blades present their flat surfaces to the fluid.

I/Vhat I claim is 1. In a Geneva stop motion the combination of a driven spindle, a locking disk arranged parallel to said spindle, an operating pin projecting from said disk and a stop wheel carried by said spindle and formed with alternate locking surfaces and slots for cooperating with said driving pin.

2. A stop motion comprising in combination a rotatable slotted wheel, a shaft parallel to the face of said wheel. a locking plate mounted upon and adapted to rotate.

on said shaft adjacen't'to said wheel, a pin carrying a barrel-shapedroller secured in position in said plate to engage the slotted wheel on relative rotation occurring between said wheel and said plate, and means for rotating said plate and clamping it in any position.

8. A stop motion comprising in combination a rotatable slotted wheel, a locking plate rotatable about an axis parallel with the face of said wheel, and a pin carrying a barrel-shaped roller secured in position in said locking plate to engage the slotted. wheel on relative rotation occurring between said wheel and said plate.

4. ,A stop motion comprising a spindle rotatable about its own axis and about an axis at right angles thereto, a cam attached at right angles to said spindle substantially square in shape and having radial slots at its corners extending toward said spindle, a recessed locking plate parallel with the plane of rotation of said spindle co-acting with said cams to lock them from rotation,

and pins adjacent to said locking plate adapted to engage and substantially fit the revoluble with said spindle and a pin mounted upon said locking plate opposite the recess in said locking plate, and carrying a barrel-shaped roller adapted to engage with said cam and to rotate it.

6. A stop motion comprising a spindle rotatable about its own axis and about an axis at right angles thereto, a cam attached at right angles to said spindle substantially square in shape and having radial slots at its corners extending toward said spindle, anti-friction devices supported at said corners of the cam, a recessed locking plate parallel with the plane of rotation of said spindle co-acting with said cams to lock them from rotation, and pins adjacent to said locking plate adapted to engage and substantially fit slots in said cam so as to rotate it and also to control it during rotation.

7 A stop motion comprising a spindle rotatable about its own axis and about an axis at right angles thereto, a cam attached at right angles to said spindle, said cam comprising two plates substantially square in shape having radial slots at their corners extending toward said spindle and antifriction devices supported between them, a recessed locking plate parallel with the plane of rotation of said spindle co-acting with said cams to lock them for rotation, and pins adjacent to said locking plate adapted to engage and substantially fit the slots in said cam so as to rotate it and also to control it during rotation.

8. In a stop motion the combination of a spindle rotated intermittently and locked from rotation in the intervals between successive turns, a stop wheel carried by said spindle, a locking disk cooperating with said stop wheel and means for rotating said locking disk into any angular position desired and for clamping it in that position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN ARTHUR ARMSTRONG. Witnesses:

A. E. ODELL, LEONARD E. HAYNES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

